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Youth experiencing psychosis may soon have expanded treatment services available in Sarnia.

The Erie-St. Clair Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) has approved $436,000 in funding for mental health and addictions programs, specifically for an early psychosis intervention program targeting teens and young adults.

"There's very limited services for young adults," said Brad Keeler, a senior director with the LHIN. "Generally you take care of more adult populations and elders."

The expansion will help catch the early signs of psychosis, he said, resulting in earlier treatment and better quality of life.

The lead agency working on the plan is the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Lambton Kent. Partners include the St. Clair Child and Youth Centre in Sarnia, the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance and Chatham-Kent Children's Services network in Chatham, and the Windsor-Essex CMHA branch.

"What we've asked the agencies to do is meet now, get your groups together and we'd like a plan by the end of September," Keeler said.

There's an emerging need among young adults for help with serious mental illness, said CMHA Lambton Kent CEO Alan Stevenson.

"We're very excited and pleased that this new funding is coming forward," he said.

Those who experience psychosis have a loss of contact with reality and can experience confused thoughts, perceived voices, and changes in belief and behaviour.

According to the Early Psychosis Prevention and Information Centre in Australia - a world leader on the issue, Stevenson said - it's estimated 3% of people experience psychosis. Of those, 80% experience their first psychosis between the ages of 15 and 30.

"It actually is more pervasive and common than diabetes among young people," Stevenson said.

Sarnia already has a small, four-year-old early intervention and psychosis program that, at its busiest, experiences one referral per week and is more than the agency can handle.

Referrals are down currently, Stevenson said, but he expects they'll increase when school resumes.

New funding will provide for one additional registered nurse, he said. Currently three full-time staff take care of nursing and social work. There's also a part-time psychiatrist.

"This is part of a trend towards recognizing the importance of mental health care," Stevenson said. "It has been an area that has historically been unrecognized but . . . there has been funding over the last few years and we expect continued growth."

Lambton and Kent CMHAs merged in February, meaning administrative infrastructure is already in place to deliver services, he said.

"All of this funding is going directly towards client services. There's no sort of managerial funding or administrative funding whatsoever."

The funding will bring similar agencies within Sarnia-Lambton, Chatham-Kent and Windsor-Essex closer together, he said. It will also help build relationships with the children's mental health sector.